Fear Itself
by I am not Aphrodite
Summary: Once a year, the six famous children of Cronus get together for some family bonding time. However, every year leads to new and sometimes horrifying surprises. What could possibly go wrong when Hades is in charge of the group?
1. Demeter

Everything was going moderately well until the trail mix exploded.

Alright, it'd be better to start from the beginning. There are six siblings by the names of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Hera, and Demeter. Zeus and Hera hooked up and eventually got married, but the other four either married someone else or didn't marry at all. Not that anyone blamed Demeter and Hestia for not getting married. Well, okay, Poseidon blamed them. He wanted both of them at some point or the other.

You get the point. The family is pretty dysfunctional. Because of the problems they've faced, they hardly talk to each other. Though one day long ago, one of the siblings suggested they get together once a year to have 'family time'. Three guesses who suggested that. It starts with H and ends in ESTIA. But everyone agreed that it might be good to spend quality time together. They'd find a big house and the sibling-of-the-year would choose what they were to do. This year, it was Hades' turn.

Now, I never had anything against Hades. And if you knew my name, you'd know that I just told the biggest lie of existence. My name is Demeter. My most precious daughter, Persephone, got kidnapped by the loser and forced to marry him. She claims she doesn't mind, but I know she does. Even if she's always excited to see him again. A mother knows when her daughter is actually miserable.

Anyway! The five of us, besides Hades, all sat in the living room. The house we borrowed was fairly nice. It was a two-story cabin-style home near the mountains. Outside it was snowing and bitter, but inside a warm fire was going in the fireplace and the place smelled of burning wood. Hestia sat by the fireplace, a warm glow illuminating her face. Of all of us, Hestia was the most normal. She was also the sweetest. Most of the time she appeared as a twelve year old girl with long chocolate-brown hair.

Poseidon was taking up the whole couch. His body was sprawled across it while Hera yelled at him for being immature. Poseidon only laughed and threw popcorn at her. Zeus was sitting in the recliner chair as if it were a throne. Personally, I thought he looked ridiculous. The guy couldn't go five minutes without reminding everyone he was ruler of the universe. Not that I cared. I was much too busy to be a ruler. Tending to tomato plants was more time consuming than it looked! I myself sat on the floor, leaning against the coffee table. I had a bowl full of trail mix to myself, since no one else seemed to like it.

"Where is he?" Zeus asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Poseidon and Hera immediately stopped bickering. "Maybe he got caught in traffic. The roads are horrendous." Poseidon offered. Hera gave him a look. "He's a god, Poseidon. He can just as easily teleport himself here!" The two continued to argue. Zeus groaned and put his face in his hands. Hestia poked at the fire with her bare hands and spoke to it in Ancient Greek.

Then Hades popped up in front of them all, a smirk on his face. I was automatically tempted to slap him. The god of the Underworld held up a movie, his eyes skirting around the room. "We're going to watch this." Poseidon squinted and tried read the title. "Am... Ami... Amity-" Hera cut him off. "For goodness sake, it's called Amityville Horror!" Zeus blinked a couple times. "You expect us to watch this?" Hades looked over at his brother with a sly grin. "Not if you admit you're scared." Zeus quickly shook his head. "Me? Scared? Never."

Hestia was now backed into the fireplace. It looked as though she were being eaten by flame. "What if I admit I'm scared!" She squeaked out. Poseidon hopped off the couch so fast, the bowl of popcorn landed on Hera's head. "You can sit with me, Hestie! I'll protect you!" Hera punched Poseidon's arm. He took a piece of popcorn from her hair and ate it.

Zeus scowled and got up from his chair. "I told you a million times to stay away from Hestia." Poseidon pouted. "But I just want to sit with her." Hestia crawled out from the fire and ran over to Zeus's chair, curling up in it. I sighed. I wanted that chair. Zeus walked back over and lifted Hestia up, sat down, then placed her on his lap. Hera was a jealous woman when it came to Zeus and other ladies, but Hestia was not a threat. She was actually a sworn virgin. Now, if I had sat on Zeus's lap, there would have been a fight.

Trust me. Last get together, Poseidon sat on Zeus's lap and chaos erupted. Poseidon ended up crying in a dog house and Hestia went missing for a week.

After cleaning herself off, Hera came and sat down next to me. We got along now, for the most part. As long as I kept away from Zeus. Poseidon went back to lounging on the couch. "Well? Come on, bro, put the movie on!" He called. Hades rolled his eyes and turned on the TV, which was a good size. It was nothing compared to Hephaestus' set though. Hades put the movie in and pressed play, and soon enough the only sound inside the house was that of the movie.

Five minutes in, Hestia was already sobbing. Ten minutes in, Poseidon was too. The only two seemingly unaffected by this movie was Hera and I. Even Hades looked paler than usual. Any paler and the loser would turn transparent. Zeus was holding Hestia, though he was clearly just as scared. It wasn't until about thirty minutes in when things got weird. Down the narrow hallway of the house came a creaking noise. Everyone heard it. Hestia let out a gasp and buried her face into Zeus's shoulder. Poseidon peeked out from his pillow-fort.

"Probably just the foundation of the house." Hades said smoothly. "Newer houses tend to make noises like that." Everyone seemed to calm down until Hera said, "Hades, this house is over a hundred years old." I slapped my hand to my forehead. "Great, now they're not going to shut up. This house isn't haunted, okay? It was just one noise. You're all paranoid because we're watching a horror movie."

Then things got worse. My bowl of trail mix flew into the wall and shattered, delicious snacks flying everywhere. Hestia screamed while Zeus tried to calm her down, obviously freaked out himself. Poseidon went back to hiding in his pillow fort while Hera dove into Hades' lap. "Hey!" Zeus yelled. Then he remembered that Hera was faithful and went back to some sort of deep breathing exercise. "This place is haunted!" Hera cried, clinging to Hades. He was trying to pry her off. "Someone turn the movie off!" Hestia screamed. "If I see one more monster, I'll scream!" She looked over at Hades and screamed.

I got up and turned the TV off. Another creak came from down the hall. This time it sounded like someone taking a step. Everyone was silent. That alone made me nervous. "Demeter, how are you not scared?" Hera asked. She looked at me with a mixture of respect and confusion. I shrugged and said, "We're gods. I don't think we have anything to worry about." Hades finally managed to get Hera off of him. "If you're so brave," Hades said, "Go check it out."

"NO!" Poseidon cried. He burst out of his fort and jumped on me. "Do not make her do such a thing! We can't risk my beautiful- I mean, our beautiful sister getting hurt!"

"Relax, Poseidon! And get off of me!" I yelled. Poseidon pouted and let go. He sat back down beside his broken fort. "Maybe there's an animal in here that we did not know about. I'll go check it out." I headed down the hallway, feeling my siblings eyes watch me. The last door on the left lead into a room, an open window catching my eye. "Aha!" I called, to let my siblings know I found the problem. The ripped curtains framing the window flapped chaotically due to the wind. Snow had already left a puddle on the old carpet.

"Guess the previous owners never cared about shutting the windows." I walked over and paused. Outside in the dark were a pair of glowing red eyes. For a moment I was mesmerized, then I noticed the eyes coming closer. I turned and took one step to run, but hands grabbed my waist. I screamed.


	2. Hestia

Everyone stood up when Demeter screamed and barrelled their way down the hall. Poseidon turned into the room and fell to his knees. He whimpered. The window was open and all that lay on the floor was Demeter's wheat bracelet. Zeus walked over and picked it up, holding it as if it were a dangerous weapon that shouldn't be touched. "Don't worry, Demi, we'll find you!"

We all looked out the window, but made no move to go near it. "Um..." Poseidon muttered. "Who wants to go out and look for her?" Hera glared at him. "We should all go out and look! Splitting up at this time would be the_ worst_ thing to do!" Hades snuck up behind Poseidon and grinned. "Funny guys go second." Poseidon shrieked and turned around, then jumped into Hades' arms. "Hold me!"

I walked over to Zeus and tugged on his shirt to get his attention. "I see footsteps outside. In the snow." Zeus looked down at me and nodded gravely. "Good observation, Hestie." He looked back at the group. Hades had dropped Poseidon, who was now trying to get inside Hades' cloak. Hera was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "We're going to go out and look for Demeter." Zeus explained. Hades pushed Poseidon to the floor. "Fine. But I'm not being held responsible for this." Hades said. "You were the one who _told_ her to check it out!" Hera cried. Hades shrugged innocently. "I didn't realize her brain was loaded with fiber."

I screamed as something grabbed my ankle. Then I realized Poseidon had crawled over. "That's not nice, Poseidon!" I yelled, "Say you're sorry!" Poseidon got up on his knees, making himself roughly the same size as me. "Sorry! I just wanted to say hi." He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. All at once, Zeus and Hades both grabbed Poseidon and threw him to the floor for the second time. "I'm just trying to be nice!" He cried. Zeus grabbed my hand and lead me out of the room, all of us heading back to the living room.

"We have a... well, a kidnapper on our hands. Someone took our sister and has potentially hurt her." Zeus said. Hades rolled his eyes. "We've established that, Blondie. Let's stop talking and actually go look for her!" Everyone made for the door when the fire went out. I screamed. "My fire! My baby!" I tried to run for the fireplace to restart it, but Zeus held me back. "We'll start it again once we find Demeter." He dragged me out the door, my eyes still focused on the darkened hearth. It seemed like bad luck, or a warning. Maybe because there was ash on the floor that spelled out '_You're next_'.

Then I looked over at the remains of Demeter's trail mix. '_You're first_' was written out in little grains of wheat. "Zeus! Zeus!" I yelled, clinging to his hand. Snow fell on my skin and instantly melted. That was one of the perks of being hot. "Zeus, there's warnings! We must listen to the trail mix and-" Zeus looked down at me, his expression hard. "Quiet, Hestia. Can't you see we are dealing with a serious problem?"

I looked over and saw Poseidon stuffing snow into Hades' cloak hood. Hera was trying to swat away the snow. "But, Zeus!" I pleaded. "No buts," Zeus warned, letting go of my hand. We all began to follow the footsteps left in the snow. They were too big to be Demeter's. From what I could tell, they were a man's. "Do ghosts leave footprints?" Poseidon asked casually. Everyone looked over at Hades. "Why are you looking at me? Oh. Uh, no." Poseidon nodded as if this confirmed his worst fears. "Then we're dealing with a real person."

"Really, Poseidon? I thought we were dealing with Big Foot." Hera said sarcastically. Poseidon nodded. "He was my next bet. But I've seen Big Foot. His feet are bigger than this." My eyes widened. "Oh my gods, you've seen Big Foot?!" I asked in amazement. Poseidon nodded and looped his arm through mine. "Yes! Man, was it awesome. He was, like, sixteen feet tall and had snowy white hair, and glowing green eyes." I gasped. Hades groaned. "Are you describing Big Foot or Danny Phantom?" Poseidon looked over at him, confused. "Who's Danny Phantom?"

"Danny Phantom was just fourteen-" Hades started, but Hera hit his arm. "Shut up!" Poseidon looked down at me and winked. "Maybe you and I could go to see Big Foot sometime." I nodded in excitement until Zeus shoved Poseidon away. "The footsteps end here," Zeus noted. The five of them were standing in front of an old wooden shed. The place was run down. "Looks like a good entrance to the Underworld." Hades said softly. Poseidon nodded his agreement. "Or a strip club."

"Should... should we go inside?" Hera asked nervously. I looked over at her and my eyes caught something in the woods. Two glowing red orbs. No, not orbs. Eyes! "Zeus! Zeus, look! There's something over there!" Zeus didn't look. No one did. The eyes seemed to taunt me as they faded into the distance. "There was something in the woods, guys! There's someone over there!" Hera placed two fingers on the bridge of her nose. "Hestia, please be quiet. Yelling isn't going to help."

Hades opened the shed and peered inside. "Nothing but some old newspapers and a rake." Poseidon screamed. Everyone looked at him. "_Rakes_." He whispered. I was about to ask if he had a history with rakes when I noticed the red eyes were back. A figure was standing on the edge of the forest, clearly that of a human. I couldn't make out any details, but I knew it was staring at me. Tears fell from my eyes. "I'm scared," I whimpered. I wanted Zeus to hold my hand, but he was too preoccupied with searching the shed. "H-Hera?" I asked, looking over at her. She ignored me and walked over to join the others.

I looked back over at the woods and saw the figure was gone. I took a deep breath and then something amazing happened. I had an Aha! moment. I realized that I shouldn't depend on everyone else for safety and comfort. If I believed something was to be done, I should do it. I walked over to the entrance of the shed and looked inside. Poseidon was staring at the rake in horror. Hades was looking at the newspapers. Zeus and Hera were kissing in the corner. Something written on one of the newspapers caught my eye.

"Play with fire, you'll get burned," I read aloud. "Or die." It was written in orange sharpie marker, signifying that someone had come here. Most likely recently. Suddenly there was a clang and Poseidon screamed. The rake had fallen in front of him. Hades was laughing. "Why are you so scared of rakes?" He asked. Poseidon crossed his arms in defiance. "You never know what garden appliances to trust, Hades. Rakes... not one of them." Hades continued to laugh. Zeus and Hera still have yet to come up for air.

I turned and started walking towards the woods. I could no longer see the glowing eyes, but I knew they were close. In the distance I could hear Hera yelling at Hades. I also heard something like a woodpecker, but that was not important. I continued to walk until I reached the edge of the woods. My confidence was leaving me. All I wanted to do was cry and run back to Zeus. I was frozen to the spot, scared beyond belief. What was I thinking, coming out here alone? I was as fiber-brained as Demeter!

Suddenly a branch cracked. I knew that was a bad sign, since every horror movie had cracking branches. It was the classic sign that you were about to die. Then I remembered I was a goddess. Goddesses don't die. I heard something coming towards me. "Hestia?" A familiar voice yelled. I recognized it as Hades'. The others were beginning to realize I was gone. "WHAT?" Zeus cried. "HESTIA, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

I was about to scream for help when a gloved hand covered my mouth. I could not even struggle as the stranger dragged me back into the woods, the only thing I could hear being Zeus's cries.


	3. Hera

There was no doubt that this night made it onto my top-ten-list-of-worst-nights. Right above the night Zeus thought becoming a race car driver in Delaware was a good idea. Competition brought out the worst in him and the end result was four critically injured men and the majority of them needing psychiatric attention. I didn't let him race after that. Or go to Delaware.

Now I was thinking that these get-togethers were a terrible idea. Especially with Hades and Poseidon involved. The two of them were nothing but trouble alone; put them together and it was like an explosion of drama. Now the remaining four were dead silent, freaked out at having lost two of their sisters in the span of five minutes. "Hestia wouldn't have just left." Zeus said softly. I nodded, agreeing. Demeter was more likely to get up and leave, but Hestia wasn't like that.

"She was saying something about the woods." I said, looking over my shoulder at the dark forest. The snow was falling faster now, making it nearly impossible to see. "We should go look. Make sure she's not in there." Hades nodded. If there was one person (besides Persephone) that Hades always got along with, it was Hestia. _Everyone_ got along with Hestia. She was our big sister who always looked out for us, and without her, we felt lost.

Zeus looked as if he were about to sob. Poseidon _was_ sobbing. He'd changed appearances and looked more like a teenage boy at this point. I sighed. "I'll lead, then, since no one else seems to be willing." I took a step forward and started walking towards the woods. Zeus appeared at my side, most likely worried that he'd lose me too. At least, I wanted to believe that. Poseidon had jumped on Hades' back and refused to let go, so Hades had no choice but to carry him. "I want to go home," Poseidon whimpered. Hades rolled his eyes.

"Once we find Demeter and Hestia, we'll head back." Zeus assured, "But we aren't leaving without them."

We all walked to the edge of the woods, unsure if we should actually go in. "It doesn't make sense that Hestia would go in here alone." Hades said, glaring at the trees. I almost laughed when I imagined them glaring back. Then Poseidon gasped and pointed to the ground. "Look! Footprints!" We all looked down and sure enough, the same large footprints were in the snow. But there was also a strange path that looked like someone had been dragged. "Oh my goodness." I said, frowning. "Hestia was taken by force!"

Poseidon buried his face in Hades' shoulder and cried harder. "There, there." Hades said in a droll voice. After less than a second, Hades shoved Poseidon off. "I just want you to hold me!" Poseidon cried. "Is that so wrong?!" Hades nodded. "Considering you are not a child anymore, yes, yes it is wrong." I rolled my eyes. "Poseidon, you really need to grow up."

"I do not!" Poseidon argued. Zeus coughed. "We really should be looking for our sisters." I nodded in agreement. We all started walking slowly into the woods, keeping close to each other. I heard a screeching noise and grabbed Zeus's hand, only to realize it was actually Hades'. "I'm already dealing with Poseidon, I don't need you too." He said in a low voice. I let go, glared at him, and found Zeus's hand. He squeezed mine in return.

"Hestia?" Hades called out. "Demeter?" We all stopped, listening for any form of reply. Poseidon frowned. "Did you hear that?" We all looked at him. Poseidon was many things, but he wasn't one to lie. "Hear what?" I asked, keeping my voice soft in case there was another noise. "There was a... like a sob." Poseidon said. He looked pretty shaken up, so I wasn't sure whether to believe him. Never trust a guy with permanently waterlogged ears.

The others seemed to think the same thing. "It was probably just the wind." Zeus insisted. Hades nodded while Poseidon began to flail. "No, it was definitely a person! Hestia!"

That caught Zeus's attention. "Where did it come from?" He asked, voice dead serious. Something everyone learned quickly was the bond between the eldest sibling and the youngest sibling. Hestia didn't look like an older sister, but she sure acted like it. Always scolding Poseidon for throwing things at me, telling Hades he needed a haircut. Actually, forget Hestia being a sister. Hestia was like a _mom_.

A mom that everyone fought over for her attention.

So Hestia was pretty important. Her getting taken could mean anything. The worst being that a new war was coming, and they wanted her as a hostage. The best scenario being that someone got cold and wanted a nice warm fire. Though no matter the cause, Zeus would surely smite whoever took her. Demeter being gone was also upsetting, but not as much. At least not to me. When your sister sleeps with your husband and has a really cute child together, you become a little salty towards that sister. Especially when that really cute child becomes queen of the Underworld.

Then I heard what Poseidon must have heard. A small sob coming from my left. Without thinking I started fast walking in that direction, Hades behind me. "Where are you going?" He asked, keeping close. I shook my head. "I heard her. Hestia. She's in trouble!" I walked faster, pausing when I spotted a soft orange glow up ahead. "There." I noticed that Zeus had not followed, most likely trying to calm Poseidon down. I tried to get the thought of them secretly making out out of my head.

Hades placed a hand on my shoulder, looking down at me with his cold black eyes. We got along for a while, before I married Zeus. Then Hades stopped visiting me. It was upsetting, since Hades seemed to be the only person I could have an intellectual conversation with. Though if his siblings were in danger, Hades put his personal feelings aside and did all he could to protect us. He was the oldest male, after all. He felt it was his responsibility.

"I'll go check it out. I need you to stay here and keep safe." Hades said. Normally I would protest, but that did no good with Hades. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and walked off in the direction of the glow. "Hello," someone said behind me. Their voice was low, definitely male. I turned and blinked. "What are you-" The man grabbed me. I looked over my shoulder and screamed, trying to reach out to Hades. He looked over, his expression instantly murderous. "LET GO OF MY SISTER!" He took a step forward but I vanished, the man having teleported us.

At least I now knew he wasn't human.

* * *

**A/N: Writing Hera is difficult. Don't judge me. **


	4. Poseidon

Seeing Hades walk back over to us was like a hard kick to the esophagus. Mostly because he looked hurt and upset and downright depressed. More so than usual. I noticed someone was missing, but Zeus beat me to it. "Where's Hera?" He demanded, his blue eyes wide with anger. Hades looked down, distraught. "She was taken. I did not see who it was, but it was a god."

Zeus glared at Hades for a few seconds before sighing. "He's taken our sisters. He won't get away with this." Hades stepped closer to us. "How do we find them? We have no idea where they could be. Much less who's_ taking_ them." I coughed, trying to get their attention. The others looked over. "Notice how they took all the girls. That clearly means something. I don't know what it means, but it means something!"

Hades and Zeus rolled their eyes. "Perhaps it's due to the fact the girls aren't as str-" Hades paused. Then he sighed. "As _strong_ as us. I was just waiting for Hera to hit me and go on a lecture about how I'm wrong." Zeus looked down, his blonde hair toppling over his eyes. "You don't realize how much you miss it until it's gone." I pouted. "I miss Hestia telling me to apologize."

"Say you're sorry, Poseidon!"

I looked behind me, expecting to find Hestia. It sounded just like her, after all. My brothers looked as well, but no one was there. "I'm not going crazy, right?" I asked, looking from Zeus to the woods. "Did everyone else just hear Hestia!?" Zeus and Hades nodded. Hades looked even paler than usual. "If we go back to Olympus without them, everyone's going to break out into a frenzy!" Zeus yelled, putting his face into his hands. "They could think I did this!"

Hades glared at Zeus. "Pull yourself together! Our sisters' could be _hurt_. Forget your reputation for _one_ second and just focus on _FINDING THEM_!"

Zeus looked as though he'd been slapped. He took a step away from Hades, who looked as though he'd just hit a child. "You're right, of course. We have to find them." Without another word, we began trudging through the woods. Behind me, the snow turned to salt water, almost causing Zeus to slip. "Can't you _control_ that?" He growled, "There's already enough ice to challenge Khione's palace! I don't need you causing me to slip either" I frowned, mumbling an apology. Zeus sighed.

Then Zeus put his hand on my shoulder. I looked back as he knelt down, a grin spreading over my face. I jumped onto Zeus's back, easily getting situated. Hades looked back at us but didn't say anything. He simply faced forward again and continued on. "I'd know if we were close to them," Zeus said, his voice filled with despair. "I feel nothing."

Hades nodded. All around us were the eerie noises of the woods. Owls hooted, foxes screamed. Every time a fox screamed I held tighter onto Zeus, freaked out by how loud they were. They sounded like women getting murdered. Then I thought about my sisters and tensed up. "You don't think they're getting... hurt, do you?" I could only see the side of Zeus's face, but I could tell he looked upset. Hades refused to even look back at us. "I don't know. But if they are, I'm going to do ten times worse to whoever is causing it." Zeus said. His tone scared me.

Up ahead there was a soft glowing light. It was orange, much like a fire. Hades paused. "Don't wander off. I saw a fire before, but I never reached it. Hera got taken." I remained on Zeus's back as the two walked towards the fire. "Do you think... Hestia was here?" I asked. After a couple of seconds, Hades answered. "No. It's not warm. Not like Hestia's fires." Suddenly I hopped down from Zeus's back and spread my hands. "When we left the house, the fire went out! Hestia was upset!"

"What are you implying, Poseidon?" Hades asked, his voice indicating that he was simply humoring me. "Hestia likes to appear wherever a warm fire is. What if we went back to the house and started the fire back up? It'd be warm!" Zeus and Hades looked at me for a few seconds. Then Zeus sighed. "That doesn't make much sense, Poseidon. If they are being held captive, what makes you think Hestia would be able to get back?"

I shrugged. "What else can we do? We're just walking around like a bunch of silly mortals. Let's try!" Hades looked over at Zeus, his expression one of disbelief. "You aren't actually..?" Zeus groaned. "Fine. We'll try Poseidon's idea." I pumped my fist into the air. "Yes!"

I don't feel like describing the walk back, so once we got back to the house, we were all surprised to see that all the lights had turned off. "Think the storm knocked out the power?" I asked. "Well, that'd be the most normal thing to happen tonight." Hades mumbled. I nodded. "Right you are, brother dearest. Right you are." Zeus raised his hands and did some godly stuff, causing lightning to strike down and bring the lights back on in the house.

I looked over at Hades and giggled. "What?" He demanded, glaring at me. "Oh, nothing." I replied. I figured it wasn't the right time to tell him his hair was sticking straight up from the static. I walked into the house and sat by the fireplace. Hades and Zeus joined me so we had a nice semi-circle around the hearth. "Hades, can you set it on fire?" I asked. Hades shook his head, "My flames are too... well, they aren't lively enough for Hestia to enjoy. Trust me. The last time she visited, she changed all the Greek fire to her regular fire."

"It's a nice day indeed when Hell has a heat wave."

"Alright you two, focus." Zeus commanded. We both stopped talking and looked at Zeus. He pointed at the hearth and flames instantly jumped up. We all stared at the fire, waiting for something to happen. _Hestia, come back, we miss you_! I thought silently. After a minute or two, Hades stood up in anger. "This was pointless! This obviously wasn't going to bring her back! I don't know why I listen to you, Poseidon, when all your ideas are childish and naive!"

"Brother, you need to lower your voice." Zeus warned, but Hades just blatantly ignored him. I got up and slowly started backing away. "You're always acting so needy. Why not act like a_ god_ for once? Why not go into those woods yourself and look for our sisters?"

"You know damn well why he can't go alone!"

"Quiet, Zeus!" Hades screamed. "I'm tired of you idiots always... always being_ idiots_!" By this time I was backed against the wall, staring up at Hades. His dark eyes were brimming with anger. "Reality check, Poseidon. You need us, but we don't need _you_."

Every light in the house burnt out. The fire died. Zeus stood in front of Hades, glaring at him. "Control yourself, or go back to the Underworld." This time, Hades looked shocked. "I didn't... that wasn't me. I didn't break the lights or-" Zeus cut him off, "You expect me to believe that? You have no right telling Poseidon off when you act like a child yourself."

I felt a gust of wind hit me. I saw something move down the hallway. "Uh, Zeus?" I whispered, but he was too busy arguing with Hades. "You think you're such a good leader, but you only lead the _dead_, and they don't require much leading!" Hades growled. "Yeah? And you're doing such a good job of leading? Maybe I _should_ go back to the Underworld! I only have so much time with my wife, thanks to _you_!"

"Was there any other solution?"

"You don't see me unleashing an undead army into the world during the summer!"

"The humans got used to the winter!"

"Yeah, and so many of them are still dying_ because of it_!"

"That expands your kingdom!"

"_Does it seem like I want my kingdom expanded_?!"

"Guuuuuys," I whimpered. By now I was certain someone was in the house with us. Zeus and Hades still ignored me. Everything Hades said was still swimming through my mind, sort of like an eel. A long, twisty eel. I looked over at the couch, seeing that my pillow fort was still in crumbles. I didn't need that fort now. I wasn't scared. Even if I got taken, maybe the kidnapper would take me to my sisters. Then I could protect them and bring them back safe!

While Hades and Zeus were still arguing, I slowly made my way to the hallway. I inched forward, my trident appearing in my hand. "I know you're over here, mystery person. Come out and fight like a man! Uh, god!" I stared at the entrance to the room where Demeter originally got taken. It seemed like so long ago, now. Finally, a figure emerged, but it wasn't a man. In fact...

"Wait... _you're_ behind this?" I asked in disbelief.

Then the goddess conjured the rake, and I was screaming my head off.

* * *

**A/N: This just makes less and less sense as it goes! WOO! Plot twist! Wishing for everyone affected by the flood in Alberta, Canada to be safe! **


	5. Hades

"So Poseidon's gone."

Zeus just had to state the obvious, didn't he? "I know that! I can see!" I said. My voice betrayed how upset I really was. I silently cursed myself. "We were too busy arguing and didn't notice. Do you realize how horrible that makes us look?" Zeus nodded, collapsing into a chair. "It seems every time one of us was taken, we were not paying enough attention. We really are quite selfish beings."

"Is this my fault?" I asked. "It was my turn to... plan things, I suppose. But more than that; I'm the eldest brother. Shouldn't I be able to protect my family?" The room was eerily silent, save for the occasional gust of wind outside. I didn't realize how much I appreciated being around my family until one by one, they disappeared. I didn't want to avert my eyes from Zeus, our youngest brother. Not even for a second. Capable as he was, if Poseidon could get taken, there was a chance any of them could.

Though, as much as I hated to admit it, Zeus wasn't as bad as everyone thought him to be. "It's not your fault, brother. Whoever decided to ruin our night, the one taking our siblings, it is their fault. Not your's. Do not think for a second that you have brought this on us." He spoke softly. I pursed my lips, looking down at the red carpeting.

"Hold on." Zeus said, his eyebrows scrunching together. He stood up and looked around, his hopeless expression turning to one of determination. "What are you thinking?" I asked, standing up as well. I knew that look. Either Zeus was onto something, or he smelled pizza. The former seemed more likely, at least in this situation. "Have you thought of a way to find them?"

"Perhaps," was all Zeus responded. He still looked on edge, as if debating to run or stay put. I slowly moved closer to him. "Does this house have a basement?" Zeus asked, catching me off guard. Without hesitation, I nodded. I could always tell when buildings had an underground structure. It was part of being the ruler of the_ ultimate basement_. Zeus grabbed my hand (He and Poseidon were so touchy, it made me gag) and pulled me to the hallway, trying each door before he found the one leading to the basement. He dragged me down after shutting the door behind us.

"Would you like to explain why we are in a basement?" I asked, trying to adjust my eyes to the dark. Zeus found a light and used his electrifying powers to get it to work. When the room filled with light, both of us screamed and hugged each other. Sitting in the corner was a human skeleton. "Wait," I walked over to it and knocked on it's head. "Oh. Nope, it's not a Halloween prop. It's real."

So that's why this house was abandoned.

Zeus and I stood as far as we could from the skeleton. "I didn't want to be overheard. I have a plan." For a couple minutes, we discussed the plan. It sounded both idiotic and clever, and it could work if we timed it right. And if Zeus learned how to act. "So are we set?" Zeus asked, his hand on my shoulder. I nodded once, heading up the stairs. Zeus followed, not wanting to be alone with the dead guy. "Stay inside," I reminded. It sounded good, in case anyone were listening. Hopefully no one was watching.

I began walking to the door until Zeus called, "Hades?" I looked over my shoulder, giving Zeus my best comforting smile. It probably looked like a grimace, but that wasn't my concern. "It'll work." I assured. "But if it were not to, it's not like I'd let them take you, brother."

Zeus nodded. "Careful out there, Hades." I grinned and continued out the door, bending the shadows to conceal me. Then I let out a scream (Didn't mean to startle the birds) and dove into a bush. From there I watched as Zeus came running out. "Hades?!" He yelled. His blue eyes were wide with fear. Either he was a better actor than I thought, or he was really just that terrified. "Hades?" Zeus called again, this time with doubt in his voice. "Hestia? Hera?"

He dropped to his knees. Zeus ran a hand through his hair, getting it out of his face. For a few moments, nothing happened. The snow continued to fall and the wind blew just as hard. Then the wind died down. I noticed a lone figure standing a few yards away from Zeus, almost concealed by the amount of snow falling. However, they stood out considering they were dressed in all black.

The stranger walked closer, keeping their head bowed. But as they got closer, I realized a few things. One, it wasn't a man. The curves betrayed her. Two, her shoes were small, so she wasn't the only one in on this, considering the larger footprints.

And three, I knew exactly who it was.

I stood up and removed myself from the bush. "Fancy meeting you here, Persephone."

* * *

After the initial shock wore off, Persephone decided to pull her hood down. Brown hair cascaded down her shoulders and she looked relieved to be free. Zeus was also on his feet now, glaring at his daughter. While I didn't necessarily approve of him looking at her like that, I was refraining from doing the same thing. "So, would you like to explain yourself?" Zeus asked. Persephone shrugged, obviously miffed at getting caught.

"I got bored, so I invited some friends over. We thought it'd be funny to crash your party."

I looked at her in disbelief. Partly because her idea of crashing a party included kidnapping, and partly because I didn't know she had it in her. I was both proud and irritated. But more worried. "Who else is involved in this?" Zeus demanded. I coughed. "More importantly, where are those you've _taken_?"

Persephone shrugged. "Oh, they're around! Once we told them what was going on, they all thought it was funny and joined us." My jaw dropped, and I was comforted by the fact Zeus's did too. "Even Hestia?" I asked, shocked. Persephone nodded. "Even Hestia." Right on cue, Hestia skipped over and gave Zeus a hug. "Sorry, brother! But it seemed like so much fun!" Zeus looked conflicted, but decided to pick Hestia up and hug her tightly. "I'm glad you're safe." He said.

Then Ares came over with Hera and Demeter. Ares had a bruise on his cheek, but he was smiling otherwise. "Hey dad, you're looking shaken up." Zeus glared at Ares, but then sighed and pulled Hera into a hug. I winked at Demeter. "So who got you, Ares or Persephone?" Demeter rolled her eyes, pulling Persephone to her side. Persephone groaned. "Ares. Who do you think gave him the bruise?" Demeter replied.

"She hits _hard_." Ares noted.

"What do you expect?" I asked, "She spends her time lifting bags of soil."

"Uh, we're still missing someone." Zeus noted. I realized he was right. "Where's Poseidon?"

Then we heard the most obnoxious noise. I winced, looking around to find the source. I saw Poseidon come out of the shed along with someone else. His trident was banging against the rake, the two having a full out sword fight- if you could call it a sword fight. "You'll never take me alive, Aphrodite!" Poseidon cried. Aphrodite laughed and tried to swipe under his feet. "Fine by me, Poseidon!"

Ares sighed, staring over at Aphrodite. "Isn't she perfect?"

"It's not polite to stare, Ares." Hestia said.

"Yes, Aunt Hestia."

"So this is strange and vaguely uncomfortable. So this whole time, Persephone, Ares and Aphrodite kidnapped all of you as some sort of joke and we're all just...? You know what," I groaned, putting my hand to my head. "I also brought the movie The Emperor's New Groove. Who wants to watch?"

"Me!" Hestia yelled, looking extremely excited. "Er, Hades, first things first. We should find a new place." Zeus interrupted, his voice soft.

"Why?" Hera asked, puzzled.

Suddenly I realized why Zeus wanted to steer clear of this place. "Oh yeah, somebody died in the basement and they're still there."

Everyone blinked.

"So my place?" Demeter offered.

"Sounds cool," Persephone agreed.

So then everyone went to Demeter's cottage, no longer worrying about getting kidnapped or freaky skeletons. Ares and Aphrodite were cuddled up on the recliner chair, Persephone and I lounged on the floor together. Even Hera and Zeus sat next to each other! And despite Demeter throwing bits of trail mix at my head, it wasn't a bad night after all. Just a weird, terrifying, slightly insane one. But hey, we're the gods. Nothing's ever normal.

Though some questions were never answered, and might not ever be answered, such as...

Why_ is_ Poseidon so afraid of rakes?

* * *

**A/N: So this was hilariously fun to write. Five chapters of pure idiocy! Thank you so much for-a reading my story-a!**


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